Door



M. J. TRACY Feb. 9, 1937.

DOOR

Filed May 22, l1935 /NvE/Yro/E, M. J. 772,40/

ATTO/BNEV Patented Fel). 9, 1937 UNITED STATES Pdii'liii GFFICE l2Claims.

This invention relates generally to doors, and more specifically todoors of the type used in jails, prisons, and the like Where persons areheld in coniinement, the predominant object of the invention being toprovide an improved door oi' this type which is so constructed andarranged that the parts of the door which provide security againstescape through the door by sawing, cutting, or disassemblement areconcealed so that a person confined by the door does not have suchaccess to the parts referred to as would permit him to work undetectedon said parts in an attempt to effect his escape.

It is Well known to persons familiar with such matters that prisonersconfined in cells and other enclosures ci prisons and the like who areseeking to escape from confinement usually search for a starting pointat which to commence the operations which they hope will result in theirfreedom from coniinement. In other words, if a cell or other structurepresents an accessible rivet, bolt, joint or some sort, or bar, aconfined person has present what he considers a vulnerable point atwhich he may start his operations tending toward escape. It has of lateyears been recognized by oliicials having charge of jails and prisonsand the prisoners therein that the ideal jail or prison would be onewherein the cells or other enclosures were so constructed and arrangedthat no such accessible points of attack were presented to theprisoners, the theory being that if no vulnerable points are visible andaccessible in the coniining structure, including the` door thereof, aprisoner who seeks to escape is so balied by the apparently impregnablenature of the enclosure which confines him that he abandons any attemptto escape. Or ii a prisoner should start his operations tending towardescape Without knowledge of the presence of any weaker points in theconfining structure or the door, if any exist, he might select thestrongest and most impregnable part for his operations, and thus befrustrated in his attempt to escape.

The improved door disclosed herein to all outward appearances isconstructed oi ordinary ysheet steel, Without any attaching elementsbeing visible and accessible to a prisoner at which attacks upon thedoor might be started. However, Within the interior of the improved doora concealed, barred structure is provided which includes elements formedof tool-resisting material, and this concealed, barred structureprovides the door with the necessary security against escape through thedoor. In attempting to escape through the improved door a prisoner maybe able to cut through the steel sheeting of the door, as this is nottool-resisting material, but he would then be faced with the problem ofcutting through the tool-resisting elements of the concealed, barredstructure of the door, 5 which would probably end the attempted escape.

Another advantage of the improved door disclosed herein is that itsatisiies the requirements] frequently encountered in jail and prisonbuilding that the buildings and equipment be made 10 to appear less likethe jails and prisons of past years, which predominated in exposedbarred Walls and exposed barred doors. Because the barred structure ofthe improved door is concealed by an outer shell of sheet steel, thedoor 15 has a less austere appearance than does a door of exposed barredconstruction.

Fig. l is a front elevation or" the improved door, a portion of theouter steel sheeting being broken away to show the interior construction20 of the door.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on a larger scale taken through the doorillustrated in Fig. 1, parts oi the door being broken away to conservespace.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Fig. l, parts of the doorin this view also being broken away to conserve space.

In the drawing, wherein is shownfor the purpose oi illustration, merely,one embodiment oi 30 the invention, A designates the improved doorgenerally. The door A includes opposed, spaced apart plates l and 2,these plates being formed of sheet steel or any other suitable material,and being co-extensive with the opposite sides of the 35 door. Withinthe interior of the door and at the opposed longitudinal edges thereofare arranged elongated bars 3 and il of steel or other suitablematerial, these bars being extended from points adjacent to the loweredge oi the door to points 40 adjacent to the upper edge thereof. Theplates i and 2 are turned inwardly at the opposed longitudinal edges or"the door, as shown in Fig.

3, to provide laterally extended portions l and 2 at each longitudinaledge of the door which 45 abut against each other. The laterallyextended portions i and 2' oi the plates i and 2 and the bars 3 and lare secured together, preferably by welding, whereby said plates andbars provide a rigid, unitary construction. 50

spaced longitudinally of the door from top to` bottom and extendedtransversely of said door are pairs of elongated angle bars 5 and 6,each associated pair oi said bars being assembled to provide a box-likestructure that extends trans- 55 Versely of the door from a pointadjacent to one longitudinal edge or" the door to a point adjacent tothe opposite longitudinal edge thereof. The bar 5 of each associatedpair oi angle bars. 5 and il is secured by welding or otherwise to theplate l, while the bar B of each of said associated pair of bars issecured by welding or otherwise 'to the plate As is shown clearly inFig. 2, one pair of angle bars Fi and t is located at the upper edge ofthe door, and a similar pair of bars 5 and t is located at the loweredge oi the door, the intermediate pairs of bars being spacedequidistant longitudinally of the door between said upper and lowerpairs o1" bars.

Disposed within the box-like structure pro vided by each associated pairof bars 5 and S is a bar i of steel or other suitable material. Thesebars "i are of substantially the same length as the box-like structuresin which they are located, and each bar is provided with a plurality oiopenings 8 formed therethrough. The horizontal portions of all ci thebars E and E with the exception of the bar 5 at the top edge or the doorare provided with like openings 9, and all of the openings or" thehorizontal portions of the bars 5 and 5 and of the bars l are arrangedin vertically alined rows. The horizontal portion of the bar 5 locatedat the top edge of the door, as already suggested, is imperiorate, thisbeing shown in Fig. 2. The bar l located adjacent to the top edge of thedoor is preferably welded or otherwise secured to the associated angiebar 5, while the bar l located adjacent to the lower edge of the door ispreferably secured by welding or otherwise to the associated angle barii.

Supported in the vertically alined rows of openings 8 and 9 formed inthe angle bars and 6 and in the bars i are vertically extended bars lf3.These bars are spaced transversely of the door and extend from thebottom to the top of the door. The uppermost end portions of vthevertical bars i@ are disposed in the openings B formed through theuppermost transverse bar E, while the iowermost end portions of saidvertical bars are located within the openings 8 formed through thelowermost transverse bar 'L In order to secure the vertical bars inplace, welds are produced at the lower edges of the vertical bars whichsecure the lower portions of said vertical bars, the lowermosttransverse bar l, and the angle bar t at the lower edge of the doortogether. One of these welds is illustrated in Fig. 2, where it isdesignated by the reference character ll.

In producing the improved door, the plates l and 2 with the angle bars 5and 6 already fixed thereto, preferably by welding, are assembled withthe bars l and the bars 3 and arranged in place. The vertical bars E@are then threaded through the alined openings S and 9 formed through theangle bars 5 and d and the bars l from the bottom of the door, thevertical bars being welded in place at the lower edge of the door asalready explained when said vertical bars have been extended from thebottom to the top oi the door. To assist in assembling the doorstructure, the bars 3 and l are secured prior to the assemblingoperation, by spot welding, for instance, to the angular portions l ofthe plate l, and after the vertical bars lil have been arranged in placein the openings 3 and t and have been welded in place at their lowerends, the angular portions 2 of the plate 2 are secured to the bars 3and d, preferably by arc Welding.

In order to deaden a hollow sound that would otherwise be given oli bythe door when struck and to insulate the door, I pack the interior ofthe door with suitable insulating material l2. This material is oi suchnature that the vertical bars lil may be passed through it when the dooris being assembled in the manner already explained, and to facilitatesuch passage of the vertical bars it through said insulating material Itape the upper ends of said bars.

It is important to note that the vertical bars lil serve to tie theopposed side plates i and 2 of the door together and in this mannerproduce a very solid, strong, and durable door. This is so because theangle bars 5 and 6 are secured respectively to said plates i and 2, andsaid vertical bars pass through openings formed through overlapped,horizontal portions of said angle bars 5 and i. Because the opposedplates i and 2 are tied together at each point where a vertical barextends through vertically alined openings oi' an associated pair of thebars 5 and 8, a very rigid structure results and the plates i and 2 areprevented from bowing or being otherwise distorted. Ii desired, thehori- Zontal bars l and the vertical bars iii may be formed oftool-resisting steel so as to render more diiicult the tast: or" sawingor cutting through said bars. In this connection it is to be noted thatthe bars l, with the exception oi the top and bottom bars "i, are heldin place solely by the vertical bars i6 passing through the openingsformed therethrough. This renders it unnecessary to subject said bars toheat incident to welding, which might aiect the temper of the bars.

In Fig. l I illustrate the improved door A in association with a doorframe F and show conventional hinges I-I and locking means L. It is tobe understood, however, that these parts form no part of the presentinvention.

From the foregoing it is plain that a door is provided which is capableoi very effectively performing its intended function. This doorpossesses all the required security against escape through the door, butthis security is so completely concealed that its presence may not bedetected by external examination of the door.

Also, because of the concealed arrangement of its barred structure, theimproved door answers the demands frequently encountered by prisonbuilders ior more humane prison equipment. Another advantage of theimproved door disclosed herein is that many parts of the door may beformed of relatively inexpensive material which is not tool-resisting,because the concealed barred structure within the door, certain elementsof which may be formed of tool-resisting material, will effectivelyprevent escape through the door by sawing or cutting. This greatlyreduces the cost of manufacturing the door without sacrificing thesecurity of the door.

I claim:

l. A jail or prison door comprising a pair of spaced apart plates,elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom in overlappingrelation, said elements being provided with alined openings formedtherein, and bars extended through said openings for connecting saidspaced apart plates together, said bars being so arranged within thedoor as to provide an obstructing structure adapted to prevent passageoi a person through the door structure.

vWith said. angle elements and having openings 2. A jail or prison doorcomprising a pair of spaced apart plates, elements secured to saidplates and extended therefrom in overlapping relation, said elementsbeing provided With alined openings formed therein, bars extendedthrough said openings for connecting said spaced apart plates together,and bars arranged between said plates which are extended at an anglerelative to the first-mentioned bars, said bars being so arranged Withinthe door as to provide an obstructing structure adapted to preventpassage of a person through the door structure.

3. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apartplates, elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom inoverlapping relation, said elements being provided with alined openingsformed therein, bars extended through said openings for connecting saidspaced apart plates together, and bars arranged between said plateswhich are extended at an angle relative to the first-mentioned bars, therst-mentioned bars being extended through openings formed through thesecond-mentioned bars.

4. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apartplates, elements secured to said plates and extended therefrom inoverlapping relation, said elements being provided with alined openingsformed therein, bars extended through said openings for connecting saidspaced apart plates together, and bars arranged between said plateswhich are extended at an angle relative to the first-mentioned bars, thefirst-mentioned bars being extended through openings formed through thesecond-mentioned bars, and said second-mentioned bars being supported bycertain of said elements.

5. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apartplates, transverse angle elements secured to said plates and extendedtherefrom so that portions thereof are disposed in overlapping relation,said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided withopenings formed therethrough, transverse bars associated with said angleelements and having openlings formed therethrough which are alined withthe openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angleelements, and longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings ofsaid angle elements and said transverse bars.

6. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apartplates, pairs of angle elements spaced longitudinally of said door andextended transversely thereof, the angle elements of each pair of angleelements being secured respectively to the opposed plates and havingextended portions thereof arranged in overlapping relation, saidoverlapping portions of said angle elements being provided with openingsformed therethrough, transverse bars associated with said angle elementsand having openings forrned therethrough which are alined with theopenings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements,and longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angleelements and said transverse bars.

'7. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apartplates, pairs of angle elements spaced longitudinally of said door andextended transversely thereof, the angle elements of each pair of angleelements being secured respectively to the opposed plates and havingextended portions thereof arranged in overlapping relation, saidoverlapping portions of said angle elements being provided with openingsformed therethrough, transverse bars associated formed therethroughwhich are alined with the openings formed through the overlappingportions of said angle elements, and longitudinal bars extended throughthe alined openings of said angle elements and said transverse bars, theuppermost angle element of a pair of angle elements located at the topof the door being imperforate.

8. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apartplates, pairs of angle elements spaced longitudinally of said door andextended transversely thereof, the angle elements of each pair of angleelements being secured respectively to the opposed plates and havingextended portions thereof arranged in overlapping relation, saidoverlapping portions of said angle elements being provided With openingsformed therethrough, transverse bars associated with said angle elementsand having openings formed therethrough which are alined with theopenings formed through the overlapping portions of said angle elements,and longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of said angleelements and said transverse bars, the uppermost angle element of a pairof angle elements located at the top of the door being imperforate, andsaid longitudinal bars being secured in place at their lower ends.

9. A door of the class described comprising' a pair of spaced apartplates, transverse angle elements secured to said plates and extendedtherefrom so that portions thereof are disposed in overlapping relation,said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided withopenings forrned therethrough, transverse bars associated with saidangle elements and having openings formed therethrough which are alinedWith the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angleelements, longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of saidangle elements and said transverse bars, and marginal bars at theopposed longitudinal edges of the door.

10. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apartplates, transverse angle elements secured to said plates and extendedtherefrom so that portions thereof are disposed in overlapping relation,said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided withopenings formed therethrough, transverse bars associated With said angleelements and having openings formed therethrough Which are alined withthe openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angleelements, longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of saidangle elements and said transverse bars, marginal bars at the opposedlongitudinal edges of the door, and offset portions formed on saidplates which are secured to said marginal bars.

11. A door of the class described comprising a pair of spaced apartplates, transverse angle elements secured to said plates and extendedtherefrom so that portions thereof are disposed in overlapping relation,said overlapping portions of said angle elements being provided Withopenings formed therethrough, transverse bars asso-- ciated with saidangle elements and having openings formed therethrough Which are alinedWith the openings formed through the overlapping portions of said angleelements, longitudinal bars extended through the alined openings of saidangle elements and said transverse bars,

CTI

sociated with said angle elements and having openings formedtherethrough which are alined with the openings formed through theoverlapping portions of said angle elements, longitudinal bars extendedthrough the alined openings of said angle elements and said transversebars, marginal bars at the opposed longitudinal edges of said door,offset portions formed on said plates which are secured to said marginalplates, and insulating material arranged between l0 said plates.

MICHAEL J. TRACY.

